Internal-combustion engine.



' E. WORKMAN.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

' APPLICATION FILED APR. 9. 19l8. 1,292,943.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

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m H. II EE i /u If I vllllfllillflliifl flIf/Iflffllr ESAU WORKMAN, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28, 1919.

Application filed April 9, 1918. Serial No. 227,601.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EsAU WORKMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, inthe county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new. and useful Internal-Combustion Engine, of which. the followin is a specification.

My invention re ates to internal combustion engines, and the principal object of the invention is to provide an internal combustion engine which will be very compact and eflicient as compared with what may be called the standard formsof engine now in use. The invention is particularly applicable to engines haying eight, twelve or sixteen or more cylinders. Engines of ordinary types having more than six cylinders are commonly made with the cylinders in two planes which form adihedral angle with each other, the apex of the angle beingthe axis of the crank shaft. Engines of this type are commonly termed V type engines and are in quite common use in the. automobile and air craft industries. My engine is designed to supersede the V type engine, the cylinders being arranged in parallel planes which do not intersect as will hereinafter be made more evident.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts as set forth more in detail hereinafter.

Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only,

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of' an eight cylinder engine in which my invention is embodied. r

Fig. 2 is a section ona by the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a partial section corresponding to Fig. 2 with the crank shaft in a different position.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the engine with all portions below the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 omitted, and

Fig. 5 is an elevation, partly in section, and on a larger scale than the other figures of a portion of a thrust block and rollers.

In the form of my invention illustrated in the drawings, an engine is shown consisting of a cylinder casting 11, an upper crank case casting 12 and a lower crank case casting 13. Formed in the casting 11 are eight cylinders 14 arranged in two rows as indicated by the dotted lines of Fig. 4. The cylinders 14 are arranged in pairs in the same transplane represented circulated by in the'gcas'ef59. The the valves and valve operating verse plane of the engine. The casting 11 is provided with suitable water jackets 15 through which cooling water. may be readily means of a pump and suitable water connections (not shown) the cooling system forming no portion of my invention. Mounted in bearings 20 secured in the crank case casting 12 is a crank shaft 21, this crank shaft having four cranks one of which is shown at 22 in Fig. 1. Formed in tegrally with the crank shaft 21 or suitably secured thereon are four eccentrics 23 which are cylindrical in shape and the peripheries of which form a bearing surface for transmitting the power of the engine to the shaft 21. Secured to the eccentrics 23 by means -of bolts 24 are rings 25 which have projecting lips 26. These projecting lips 26 are sepiprated by a space 27.

assing t rou h the space 27. is a thrust block 30 which as twelve pins31 rigidly secured thereon, each in being provided with a roller 32. The SIX upper pins 31'are all located in the same plane on either side of the thrust block 30 and the six lower pins 31 are located three on either side of the thrust block 30 in such a position that the rollers 32 make an accurate contact with the periphery of the eccentric 23. The lips 26 of the plates 25 are so placed that they ex-' tend over the lower rollers32 as shown.

The upper rollers 32 are inclosed inside a race way 40, this raceway having the shape shown in section in Fig. 1 and being secured by 'means of bolts 41 to'piston rods 42. The... piston rods 42 are secured to pistons 43 which slide inside the cylinders 14.

An exhaust manifold 50 is provided on one side of the engine and an intake manifold 51 is provided on the other, the intake manifold 51 being provided with a carbureter 52 of any convenient construction. The intake manifold 51 communicates through passages 53 with central ports 54 in which intake valves 55 of any well known type are placed. The exhaust manifold 50 communicates through passages 56 with similar openings having exhaust valves 57 The valves 55 and and 57 may be operated by meansof any well known mechanism by a cam shaft' 58 which is driven'by timing gears (not shown) located actual construction of mechanism is old in the art and forms no part of the pres ent invention.

The method of operation of the invention is as follows:

- The engine being started by any convenient means, the valves and ignition oi:' the cylinders 14 are so timed that the cylinders in any transverse plane operate in pairs, one

cylinder of the pair taking in a c 'arge on the explosion stroke of the other cylinder and compresing this charge on the scaveng movement of the race way 40 is rectilineal and vertical and the upper rollers 32 move back and forth transversely in the race way 40 under the influence of the pistons 43. The

- crank case may be partially filled with oil, so

that there is a very large amount of splash lubrication on the various parts contained'in the crank case.

It Will be seen that by the use of my invention I am enabled to construct a very compact engine. I am also able to do away entirely with wrist pins in the pistons 43 such I as are commonly found in the conventional types of gas engines, and I am able to ar-' range the cylinders in parallel relationship so that they take upvery {little room. As will be seen from Fig. 4 my invention lends naeaeae itself to a very com a'ct arrangement of in-- take and exhaust va ves and ports and these valves are so located that they can be operated from a single cam shaft.

What I claim is 1. In'an engine, a pair of cylinders having their axes in the same plane, a crank shaft having its axis at right an les to said plane, a crank on said crank sha t, an eccentric secured to said crank, a pair of pistons each, moving in one of saidcylinders, a pairof connection rods each having one end rigidly secured in one of said pistons, a race-Way to which the other end of each of said piston rods is fixed, a thrust block, a series of upper rollers carried in said race way,a seriesof lower rollers, pins rigidly secured in said thrust block on which said upper and lower rollers turn, and roller retainers secured to said eccentric for holding said lower rollers in. contact with said eccentric.

2. A combination asin claim 1 in which said roller retainers comprise plates secured at either side of said eccentric, said plates having lips adapted to project over and retain said lower rollers.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 1st dayof April, 1918.

ESAU WORKMAN. 

